EAST PROVIDENCE — Angered by the School Department’s nearly $83-million budget request, the City Council is sending the city manager to chat with new Supt. Mario Cirillo.

Mayor Isadore Ramos doesn’t even want to meet with the school board for a joint work session until the district pares the spending plan. A final passage of the budget proposal is planned for the School Committee’s Tuesday night meeting — the same night primary voters will decide at least two races of statewide interest.

“I am furious,” Ramos said of the board’s 4-to-1 preliminary passage of the spending request last Tuesday.

“It’s a budget that’s not even conscionable. I’d like a $2-, $3- or $4-million home, but we don’t have the money. If you’re going to send me a budget that makes sense, then I’ll sit down and talk about it. That’s what they were elected for.”

Cirillo did not return calls from The Journal yesterday, but his budget for fiscal year 2009 represents a 12.8 percent, or $9.38 million, increase over this year’s $73.2-million spending plan.

The city used $42.3 million of its collected property taxes to pay for this year’s school budget. The requested property tax allocation for the next fiscal year, which begins Nov. 1, is $51.7 million. That means East Providence’s contribution to the schools would be 22 percent higher if the City Council approves the budget as is.

Yet a local ordinance mandates the city can’t raise the tax levy more than 3.5 percent annually. The council can exceed the cap with a super majority vote, but it can’t exceed the state’s 5percent mandate.

The district’s proposal exceeds both of those, but Cirillo began his presentation by stating he didn’t prepare or support it. He said it is “simply a reflection of where we are and what the district needs to operate, from the most basic of perspectives.”

And it includes this year’s shortfall and a past school deficit that total more than $4 million. In addition, Cirillo said the department’s actual costs this fiscal year, which ends Oct. 31, are $76.51 million and not the council-approved $73.24 million. So before the School Department can deal with next year’s expenses, it is $4.27 million in the red with bills four months past due, he said.

The proposed budget asks to pay off the deficit and uses the actual expenditures amount, $76.51 million, from this year as its base. It requests a $1.83-million increase in costs and all three — the base, deficit and increase — total the $82.6-million proposal.

“If you had a budget like that for your home, you would go broke and lose everything,” Councilman Bruce DiTraglia said. “It’s ludicrous to ask for $9-plus million when you can’t even pay for your $3.2-million deficit. They’ll have to make serious, serious, serious cuts. I will never raise taxes.”

DiTraglia added, “Education is very important to the city and country, but something’s got to give.”

Some council members and City Manager Richard Brown said there may be some budget changes that could trim the bottom line — such as consolidating the financial director position rather than hiring a replacement and adding any savings from recent teacher attrition and retirements.

Brown was unanimously directed by the council to meet with Cirillo rather than honoring the school board’s request to meet with the council. It is unknown whether a meeting date between Brown and Cirillo has been set.

When asked whether there was a school budget amount the city could live with, Brown didn’t give one. Of the $82.6-million proposal, however, Brown said, “I wouldn’t take that number to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun.”

apina@projo.com